Apparatus for expanding drill pipe protectors



April 11, 1944.

F. W. HARRIS APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING DRILL PIPE PROTECTORS Filed Sept. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 'l 5 A O O 7 M H i J. ln I My J M 0 4 aw .J 6 2 6 w w W a z z a a //v ws/vro/a, Ema h/ HARRIS 6 v HARR/J, K/ECH, F0575 & HARR/J) FOP THE FIRM Afro/avers April 11, 1944. F. w. HARRIS APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING DRILL PIPE PROTECTORS Filed-Sept. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VENTOIQ/ Fo/w 14/ HA/QR/J RRi-S & 5 Wm WM A M Patented Apr. 11, 1944 APPARATUS FOR. EXPANDING DRILL PIPE PROTECTORS Ford W. Harris, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Patco, Inc.,'Los Angeles, Calii., a corporation of California Application September5,1939, Serial No. 293,399 (01. 29-882) 13 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of drilling oil wells by the so-called rotary system which is in general use at the present time. a string of drill pipe is used, this drill pipe being protected from abrasion and percussion by annular rubber rings, hereinafter called drill pipe protectors, which are installed thereon at frequent intervals, the protectors being expanded before being placed on the pipe and thereafter, due to their resiliency, contracting to frictionally grip the pipe.

It has been proposed to expand the protectors and force them on a sleeve of metal while in their expanded position, a preliminary step to forcing them from the sleeve onto the pipe. My invention consists primarily of a method and apparatus by which said protectors may be expanded prior to forcing them into position on the drill pipe. In the specific embodiment selected to disclose the invention, an apparatus is shown and described which is well adapted to force the protectors on a sleeve from which they can be transferred to a drill pipe, but by minor modifications well within the powers of any man skilled in the art, this apparatus can be so modified that it can be readily used to force protectors directly onto the drill pipe itself.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus adapted to facilitate the placing of drill pipe protectors on drill pipe.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only, I show two alternative devices either of which may be used to practice my new method of expanding drill pipe protectors.

Fig. l is a vertical section through one form of my expanding device;

Fig. 2 is a top view of either of the two alternative devices shown in Figs. 1 and Fig. 3 is a section on a plane represented by the line A-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a drill pipe protector prior to placement in the expanding device;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through an alternative expanding device;

Fig. 6 is a section on a plane represented by the line B-B of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a section on a plane represented by the line C--C of Fig. 5.

Both devices are designed to expand an annular ring I0 of rubber or other resilient material, hereinafter called a protector, to a larger diameter and to forceit on a sleeve l I preparatory to In this system transferring it from the sleeve to the drill pipe (not shown).

In each form of the invention I provide a base 20 into which is screwed an annular cylinder of metal 2|. A piston 22 slides-in the:cylindrical bore of the cylinder 2| fitting in fluid-tight relationship therein. A pipe 23 is provided, with, of course, any well known valve means not shown. for supplying fluid under pressure to the space below the piston 22 from a source not shown. Rigidly fixed in the piston 22 by means of a cross pin 36 and projecting upwardly therefrom is a rod 24 which is of small enough diameter to pass inside the protector l0. Extending down inside the piston and around the rod 24 are recesses 25 separated by ribs 26 which are substantially radial to the axis of the rod 24, the outer surface of the piston 22 being also concentric with this axis. In the-form of my invention shown in Fig. 1, the surface 21 of the piston 22 and the ribs 26 is in a plane perpendicular to said axis. Before starting to expand'the protector ID, the piston is lowered by fiuid control into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the protector I0 is in the position shown in that figure.

Mou'nted, but sliding freely, on the rod 24 is a member 30 having a conical or at least a conoidal surface 3|. That is, this surface need not be a true cone and, in fact, I prefer to have a curved rather than a straight line as the generator of its outer surface. The curvature of this line does not in any way change the principle of operation. While the member 30 can slide on the rod 24, it is secured in a definite angular position with relation thereto by a key 32. The conical portion of the member 30 is divided into fingers 33 separated by slots 34. The fingers and slots are of such angular width that the ribs 26 can slide freely in the slots 34 and the fingers 33 can pass down into the recesses 25 untilthe upper surface 2'! of the piston 22 reaches a plane indicated by the line 35-35. The upper portion of the member 30 is of. such a diameter that the sleeve I I can be placed thereon in the position shown, and the cylinder 2| is of large enough diameter to allow the protector to be forced into position on the sleeve H, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

A keeperarm 40 pivoted on a pin 4| secured to the cylinder 2| is of such a shape as to take any upward thrust on the sleeve II or member 30 and is secured in its engaged position by a latch 42 or any other convenient means. It will be evident that the apparatus need not be placed upright and in fact will operate in any position,

the words up and down, and the like, being used merely for convenience of description.

The method of operation of the apparatus shown in Fig. l is as follows.

The apparatus is set up and the pipe 23'is connected to some means for admitting and draining- The sleeve II is then dropped into position andthe keeper arm 40 is swung back and latched by the latch 42 in the position shown in Fig. 1. All parts are now in the position shown in Fig.1.

Fluid under pressure is now admittedto the space below the piston 22' forcing the piston updiameter ofthe .boreof the ring after it is exandnot as expressive of function.

' piston or the follower may be stationary. In a panded.

In the claims, the words piston and follower are used for the purpose of identification Either the similar manner, directions are indicated, but obv viously these directions may be reversed as the device operates either side up. The term working stroke" is used to denote in its entirety the movement of the piston with relation to the follower.

wardly. ThesurfaceZ'l of the piston 22 and. the ribs 26 push upwardly on the protector lllforcing.

it upwardly and outwardly on'theconical surface of the fingers 33. 'l'he ribs 26 pass into the slots 34 between the fingers, proper alignment being insured by means of the pin 36 and key 32' which maintain the piston 22 and member 30, respectively, in fixed angular'position on the rod 24.. After the ribs 26 enter the slots 31 they continue eventually force to push the protector upwardly, ing it into the position I00 on the sleeve II, as shown in Fig. l in dotted lines. If the fluid pressure is released, the piston 22 falls back to its original position as shown in Fig. 1. If the keeper: arm 40 is now swung into its free position, the. sleeve l l, with the protector I!) held thereon by itscan then be lifted out and the own resiliency, apparatus can be reloaded with another protector and another sleeveand the operation repeated.

The alternate form of apparatus shown in Figs. 5, 6, and '7 is exactly like that Just described except that the rib 2 6a extend upwardly and have a conoidal surface 50. As the piston rises, these ribs expand the protector at the same time thatthey force it upwardly on the fingers 33. The flat surface 21 of the protector l0 onto the sleeve II. Recesses 5|, which are continuations of the slots 34, are provided in the member 30 for the reception of the conical portions of the ribs 26.

My invention resides broadly in expanding a protector by forcing it upon a conoidal surface by ribs sliding in grooves formed in the member having the conoidal surface. The ribs may have a face in a plane to which the axis of the conoidal surface is perpendicular, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. In this arrangement the ribs push the protector over the conoidal surface and do not themselves produce any expansion of the protector. The ribs may, however, themselves have a conoidal outer surface and thus contribute to the expansion of the protector, as in the form shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

It is quite convenient to supply the'force necessary to pull the expanding member having the conoidal surface and the follower member carrying the ribs. as shown in two expanding members shown in Figs. 5, 6, and,

'7, together by means of a fluid-actuated piston as shown. It is, however. obvious that the relative movement of the two essential operative elements can be caused by other means.

In the claims the term ring" the piston eventually pushes Figs. 1, 2, and 3,'or the is limited to tile-- I claim as my invention: 1'. In a-device for expanding a rubber ring, the

combination of: a conical expanding member the having a following surface of greater width than the larger diameter of said member and including, as an integral part thereof, parallel elongated elements adapted to-be received by said recesses, said elements having end faces constituting a portion of said following surface which are of a width toengage a ring as it expands from its small to its large diameter; means for mounting said member and follower in axial alignment, with said elements in mating registry with said recesses, and for mounting a rubber ring between and in axial alignment with said member and said follower; and means for. forcing said follower toward said member in axial alignment to a relative position at which said ring is expanded to a conical portion the small diameter of which will receive the inner surface of said ring before it is substantially expanded and the large diameter of which is approximately the diameter to which it is desired to expand the inner surface of said ring, said conical member being divided by substantially radial slots into expanding fingers; a follower having integral tongues moving in said slots, said follower having an end surface of such width that it can contact one end of said ring at all times that said ring is on said fingers; and

means for so moving said follower that it forces said ring to move on said fingers in a direction from said small diameter toward said large diameter. v

3. In an expander for drill pipe protectors adapted to force an annular resilient drill pipe protector onto a metal sleeve, the combination of a conical member having a large diameter about the same as the outside diameter of said sleeve and a small diameter about the same as the inner diameter of said protector prior to its expansion, said member being divided into fingers by slots radial to the axis of said member with which the conical surface of said member is concentric; means for supporting said sleeve concentric with said axis in a position adjacent to said small diameter of said member; a follower having integral ribs disposed in mating registry faces of sufficient width to engage a ring as it is being expanded, said follower also having a por tion thereof of sufficiently large diameter to bear on the end of said ring when said ring is expanded on said sleeve; and means for moving said follower along said axis toward said member.

4. In an expander for drill pipe'pr'otectors' adapted to force an annular resilient drill pipe protector onto a metal sleeve, the combination of a stationary structure having an axis; means for supporting said sleeve concentric with said axis;

a conical ,member having a large diameter about that of'the outside diameter of said sleeve and a small diameter about that of the inside diameter of said protector, said conical member being divided into fingers by slots substantially radial to said axis; means for supporting said member with its large diameter concentric about said axis and adjacent to said sleeve; a follower having integral ribs in mating registry with said slots, said follower having an end area of such size that it contacts said protector at all times'that said ribs are in said slots; and means for moving said follower with relation to said structure along said axis in such a manner as to force said protector over said fingers onto said sleeve.

5. In an expander for drill pipe protectors" adapted to force an annular resilient drill'pipe protector onto a metal sleeve, the combination of: a stationary structure having an axis; means for supporting said sleeve concentric with said axis; a conical member having a large diameter about that of the outside diameter of said sleeve and a small diameter about that of the inside diameter of said protector, said conical member being divided into fingers by slots substantially radial to said axis; means for supporting said member with its large diameter concentric about said axis and adjacent to said sleeve; a follower having integral ribs in mating registry with said slots, said follower having an end area of such size that it contacts said protector at all times that said ribs are in said slots; a piston attached to said follower and moving in a cylindrical bore in said structure; and means for applying fluid pressure to said piston in such a manner as to actuate said follower to force said protector over said fingers onto said sleeve.

6. In an expander adapted to force a resilient drill pipe protector onto a sleeve, the combination of: a stationary structure having a cylindrical bore therein; a piston fitting in fluid-tight relationship in said bore; means for supporting said sleeve in said structure; a conical member so placed as to allow the protector to be forced over said member onto said sleeve, said conical member having axially extending radial slots; ribs having surfaces of sufiicient width for engaging and for so forcin said protector over said member, said ribs sliding in said slots in said member; means by which said piston is connected to move said ribs; and means for applying fluid pressure to said piston.

'7. In a device for expanding a rubber ring of definite initial inside diameter, the combination of: an upper conical member the smallest diameter of which is approximately the same as said inside diameter of said ring, said conical member being divided by slots, substantially radial to the axis of said cone, into fingers; a follower coaxial with said conical member having an outside diameter greater than the largest diameter of said conical member and being provided with recesses into which said fingers can be moved, said folrecesses which are so formed that they can slide in the slots in said conical member; and means for moving said members toward each other in such a manner that said ribs will slide in said slots.

8. In a device for expanding a rubber ring of definite initial inside diameter, the combination of: an upper conical member the smallest diameter of which is approximately the same as said inside diameter of said ring, said conical member being dividedby slots, substantially radial to the axis of said cone, into fingers; a follower coaxial with said conical-member having an outside diameter greater than the largest diameter of said conical member and being provided with recesses into which said fingers can be moved,

said follower being further provided with ribs I between said recesses which 'areso formed that they canslidein the'slotsin said conical: member, said ribshaving an outside conical surface oppositely inclined to the conical surface of said member and said slots beingshaped and dimensionedso'that ribs can be entirely received therein; and means for moving said members toward each other 'in such a manner that said ribs will slide in said slots. 9. Ina device 'adapted to expand an annular ring of rubber or other resilient material from rated by ribs; an expanding member'having a conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the unexpanded inside diameter of the protector and the largest diameter of which is about the expanded inside diameter of the protector, said conoidal surface having grooves in which said ribs on said follower can freely slide, the recesses in said follower being of such a size as to permit said conical portion of said expanding member to enter same sufiiciently to allow the protector to be fully expanded, and said expanding member having a cylindrical sleeve of about the inside expanded diameter of the protector; and means by which said piston can cause sufiicient relative movement between said expanding member and said follower to insure that a protector placed between them willbe forced over said conoidal portion of said expanding member onto the cylindrical sleeve thereof.

10. In an expander, the combination of: a follower member placed above the ring prior to its expansion and having a conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as the initial diameter of the ring and the largest diameter of which is about the same as the final diameter of said ring, said conoidal surface being concentric with the common axis of the device; a piston member placed below said ring prior to the expansion of said ring said piston bei g provided with ribs of sufficient radial depth to permit said ribs to press upwardly against the lower endlof said ring during the working stroke, said follower being provided with recesses or grooves ext nding inwardly from said conoidal surface and of such size and shape that said ribs can slide freely therein during said working stroke, one of said members having a cylindrical surface of approximately said final diameter over which said ring is forced during expansion; and means for causing the desired relative movement between said members along said axis.

11. In an expander, the combination of: a follower member placed above the ring prior to its expansion and having a conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as the initial diameter of the ring and the largest diameter of which is about the same as the final diameter of said ring, said conoidal surface being concentric with the common axis of the device; a piston member placed below said ring prior to the expansion of said ring said piston being provided with ribs of sufiicient radial depth to permit said ribs to press upwardly against the lower end of said ring during the working stroke, said follower being provided with recesses or grooves extendin inwardly from said conoidal surface and of such size and shape that said ribs can slide freely therein during said working stroke, one of said members having a cylindrical surface of approximately said final diameter over which said ring is forced during expansion, the other of said members having a surface of such size and shape that it contacts with the end of said ring and forces it over said surface after said ring is expanded; and means for causing the desired relative movement between said members along said axis.

12. In an expander, the combination of: a follower member placed above the ring prior to its expansion and having a conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as the initial diameter of the ring and the largest diameter of which is about the same as the final diameterof said ring, said conoidal surface being concentric with the common axis of the device; a piston member placed below said ring prior to the expansion of said ring said piston being provided with ribs all of the outer ends of which terminate in a single conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as said initial diameter and the largest diameter of which is about the same as said final diameter, said follower being provided with recesses or grooves extending inwardly from said conoidal surface and of such size and shape that said ribs can slide freely therein during the working stroke, one of said members having a cylindrical surface of approximately said final diameter over which said ring is forced during expansion; and means for causing the desired relative movement between said members along said axis.

13. In an expander, the combination ofz'a follower member placed above the ring prior to its expansion and having a conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as the initial diameter of the ring and the largest diameter of which is about the same as the final diameter of said ring, said conoidal surface being concentric with the common axis of the device; a piston member placed below said ring prior to the expansion of said ring said piston being provided with ribs all of the outer ends of which terminate in a single conoidal surface the smallest diameter of which is about the same as said initial diameter and the largest diameter of which is about the same as said final diameter, said follower being provided with recesses or grooves extending inwardly from said conoidal surface and of such size and shape that said ribs can slide freely therein during the working stroke,

one of said members having a cylindrical surface of approximately said final diameter over which said ring is forced during expansion the other of said members having a surface of such size and shape that it contacts with the end of said ring and forces it over said surface after said ring is expanded; and means for causing the desired relative movement between said members along said axis.

FORD W. HARRIS 

